After our match against the Priory was called off on Friday due to bad weather, we hoped for sunshine at Horsley & Send but instead the Mogs turned up to be met by a thick blanket of grey cloud and persistent drizzle which fell all afternoon.
On a lighter note the Mogs were boasting 3 debutants - Mike Coxon (supporter turned player), Matt Packham and Will Irving from Reigate Priory.
Hewitt agreed to a 40 Over game with home skipper Mike Catt and "Twiglets" Packham and Charlie "Bruce/Rosie/Sammy" Lee opened the batting. The two of them batted really well and put on 71 before Twiglets was run out (not grounding his bat). Irving joined Lee at the crease and Will soon showed his class before losing his off stump, much to his and everyone else's surprise.
Hewitt joined Lee and these 2 put on 45, long enough for the skipper to congratulate Charlie on his first ever half century for the Mogador Wanderers. Tharp joined Hewitt after Charlie was caught and these two plundered 110 runs with the boundary count increasing as the overs receded. Hewitt hit a monster 6 over long off but was caught & bowled by injured overseas "pro" Ryan just short of a hundred for a fifty ball 93. Tharp stayed to the end and soon celebrated his own 50, only to be told that he had only made 49* as the Mogs finished their innings on 271 for 5, with Moss and Joe Lewis also contributing.
After an excellent tea (very good home made carrot cake), the Mogs squelched back on to the field and Lewis & Coxon opened our attack. Horsley & Send tore into our openers and plundered 61 from the first 8 overs, opening the game up beautifully. Lewis struck in the 9th over with Tharp & Hewitt both going for the same catch at mid-wicket. Tharp's rugby playing triumphed over Hewitt's beer drinking with Parker observing "it was like watching tectonic plates colliding". Joseph also removed their Aussie pro courtesy of a great leg side catch from Will (the Aussie didn't walk). Before the end of his spell (3-47), Joe also bowled their opener Colby with a beauty. Phil "The Power" Davies and Matthew "Twiglets" Packham took over and our all spin attack put a total strangle on our hosts reply. Both bowlers bowled beautifully, particularly as the ball now resembled a wet bar of Imperial Leather and they deserved their wickets with Davies (1-33) earning his wicket via another great stumping from Parker (has he been taking lessons? Ed) and Packham via good catches from Briggs & Irving. The latter replaced Davies towards the end of the 40 overs and took a wicket with his 2nd ball and Coxon ensured that all of the bowlers featured, courtesy of another catch from the ever reliable Tharp.
It had been a great victory with everyone starring and the catching perfect. Perhaps the most memorable feature of the match however was the fact that the Mogs put out a team with three teenagers in it, something that has not occurred since the late 1980's - bodes well for the years ahead.
Hewitt
MWCC Stats